Tool and protective package therefor



Jan. 4, 1966 D. GRINGER 3,227,268

TOOL AND PROTECTIVE PACKAGE THEREFOR Filed Sept. 5, 1964 FIG. 2. FIG. 3. FIG. 4.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O York Filed Sept. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 394,168`

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to a combination of a tool having a blade with an edge to be protected and means for packaging the tool and protecting its blade edge. More particularly, this invention relates to a tool such as a putty knife in combination with packaging means which serve to package the knife for display purposes while at the same time protecting the edge thereof.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tool and a protective package therefor.

Another object is to provide a tool such as a putty knife and a protective package therefor, whereby the great bulk of the putty knife is visible to the purchaser, yet at the same time, the edge of the knife blade is protected.

A further object is to provide a tool such as a putty knife with a protective packaging, whereby the prospective purchaser can test the tool and flex the blade without harming the blade edge in order to get the feel o the knife.

Another object is to provide a tool such as a putty knife with a protective package therefor, whereby the protective package covers most of the blade edge and protects -the prospective purchaser from injuring himself upon the edge or corners of the blade.

A further object is to provide a tool such as aputty knife with a protective package whereby the overall combination of knife and protective package can be readily hung to form an attractive display.

Yet another object is to provide a tool such as a putty knife in combination with a protective cover whereby the cover may be used effectively one time and one time only.

Additional objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a combination of a tool and protective package therefor in accordance with my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the combination shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a strip on which the protective covers of my invention are mounted; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a putty knife, generally designated by the reference character 10. This knife is made up of a` handle 12 and a blade 14. If desired, the handle 12 may be provided with an aperture 16 at the lower end thereof so that the tool can be hung by the user. The lower end of the knife blade 14 terminates in edge 18.

A protective cover, generally designated by the reference character 20, is provided in order to protect at least the major portion of the blade edge 18. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the protective cover 20 comprises a longitudinal blank 22, typically made of cardboard or the like, one surface of which is coated with a layer of pressure- Vsensitive adhesive 24. The blank 22 desirably will have indicia on that surface which is remote from the layer 24 of pressure-sensitive adhesive. The protective cover 20 is conveniently stored O11 a backing layer 26 made of 3,227,268 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 paper or the like. When it is desired to apply the protective cover 20 to the knife blade 14, the cover 20 is merely stripped from the backing layer 26 and applied.

As shown in FIG.V3, it is desirable to provide apertures 28 in the protective cover, these apertures being so disposed that when the cover 20 is folded transversely to form a pair of leaves 30, the apertures 28 will be in alignment. It will be apparent from FIGS. 1 and 4 that the lower portions 32 of leaves 30 adhere to opposite sides of the knife blade 14 by virtue of the pressure sensitive adhesive 24. AThe upper portions 34 of leaves 3i) adhere directly to one another. Aperture 28 may be utilized by the vendor to hang the putty knife for display purposes.

In order to protect the potential purchaser from possible injury arising from contacting the corner 36 of the knife blade 14, it is desirable that the width of the upper portions 34 of the leaves 30 be at least the width of the knife blade 14. In order to afford satisfactory protection for the blade edge 18, it is desirable that the width of the lower portions 32 of the leaves 30 be such as to cover at least a major portion of the blade edge 18.

It will be apparent that the foregoing construction affords a number of advantages. The aperture 28 permits the vendor of such items to hang up the item for attractive display. Since the protective cover 20 is afiixed only at the lower end of the blade 14, a potential purchaser is given an opportunity to examine and get the feel of the putty knife in that he can readily handle it, observe its appearance, and flex the blade without in any way injuring it. By virtue of utilizing a pressure-sensitive tape 24 to secure the lower portions 32 of the protective covering 20 to opposite sides of the knife blade 14, there is provided a protective cover that can be effectively utilized one time and one time only. That is, once the protective cover 20 is stripped off and removed from the blade 14, it cannot be reused. Accordingly, there will be little likelihood that the vendor will remove the protective cover, use the putty knife for his own purposes, and thereafter attempt to replace the cover and sell the knife as a new (unused) item.

Variations can, of course, be made without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus described this invention, what is desired to be secured and claimed by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a tool having a blade with an edge to be protected, and means for packaging said tool and protecting said blade edge comprising an elongated blank coated on one side thereof with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, said blank being folded transversely to form a pair of superposed leaves, the lower portions of said leaves overlying and being adhered by said adhesive to opposite sides of said blade and said blade edge and covering at least a major portion of said blade edge, the upper portions of said leaves being adhered to one another by said adhesive, the width of said adhering upper portions being at least as great as the width of said blade edge.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the width of said adhering upper portions is substantially the same as the width of said blade edge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,067,866 12/1962 Burton 206-46 3,082,902 3/1963 Kimbrough 206-80 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

W. T. DIXSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A TOOL HAVING A BLADE WITH AN EDGE TO BE PROTECTED, AND MEANS FOR PACKAGING SAID TOOL AND PROTECTING SAID BLADE EDGE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BLANK COATED ON ONE SIDE THEREOF WITH A PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE, SAID BLANK BEING FOLDED TRANSVERSELY TO FORM A PAIR OF SUPERPOSED LEAVES, THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID LEAVES OVERLYING AND BEING ADHERED BY SAID ADHESIVE TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BLADE AND SAID BLADE EDGE AND COVERING AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF SAID BLADE EDGE, THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID LEAVES BEING ADHERED TO ONE ANOTHER BY SAID ADHESIVE THE WIDTH OF SAID ADHERING UPPER PORTIONS BEING AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE WIDTH OF SAID BLADE EDGE. 